Social science standards panned in study

Texas social studies standards for high school juniors provide only the “illusion of inclusion” when it comes to tackling topics of race and racism, according to a recently published University of Texas at Austin study.

It examined the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS, for 11th grade social studies — a much-criticized set of standards revised by the State Board of Education in 2010 that guide textbook selection and the state's standardized test questions.

The standards include issues of race and racism but marginalize them, and underrepresent the history and contributions of some minority groups, the study found.

“If you're a Native American or Asian American student, your history is absent and the state board of education is sending a message that their history is not important,” said Julian Vasquez-Heilig, an associate professor of education policy and planning at UT and lead author of the study.

While African Americans and especially Latinos are more frequently cited in the standards than they have been in the past, the groups' connections to issues of race and racism are downplayed, said Keffrelyn Brown, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at UT and a study author.

For instance, the standards include the Tuskegee Airmen — a U.S. Army unit of African American pilots who fought in World War II — but does not make explicit the irony of their service to a nation that denied them equal rights, Brown said.

“One really big implication of this is that students walk away thinking that they understand racism but they have a very limited and myopic understanding of racism,” Brown said.

Richard Lewis, the instructional specialist who helped develop the social studies curriculum at Northside Independent School District, said he read the 19-page report and found it insulting because it discounts the work that happens in the classroom.

The authors don't appreciate that curriculum covers more than what's outlined in the TEKS, Lewis said, adding that just because the word “racism” isn't in one of the standards doesn't mean teachers overlook its connection in a lesson.

“My point is that there is an assumption here that our teachers are not teaching depth of knowledge and ... that is not true,” he said.

The social studies standards are increasingly important given the growing influence of standardized testing and accountability movements, the study, published recently in the Harvard Education Review, points out.

In March, Texas rolled out the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test — designed to be tougher and more closely aligned to curriculum standards.

It sparked fierce debate about the state's accountability system, which many expect lawmakers change next year.

High school students now must take up to 15 end-of-course exams in order to graduate. Education Commissioner Michael Williams recently waived a requirement that test scores count toward 15 percent of their course grades.

“We're having a lot of conversations about the 15 percent (rule) and these (curriculum) standards are the lynchpin of the high stakes exams,” Vasquez-Heilig said.

Social studies textbooks last were adopted in the early 2000s, making them outdated for the new TEKS.

The state board is expected to begin the textbook adoption process again as early as 2015, although several school officials said the lag doesn't hurt students because other materials are used for teaching.